Empire Wagtail
British Steam merchant
Photo Courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart
| Name | Empire Wagtail | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 4,893 tons | ||
| Completed | 1919 - Todd Drydock & Construction Corp, Tacoma WA | ||
| Owner | Smith, Hogg & Co Ltd, West Hartlepool | ||
| Homeport | London | ||
| Date of attack | 28 Dec 1942 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-260 (Hubertus Purkhold) | ||
| Position | 43° 17'N, 27° 22'W - Grid BD 9881 | ||
| Complement | 44 (44 dead - no survivors) | ||
| Convoy | ONS-154 | ||
| Route | Cardiff - Belfast Lough - Halifax - Boston | ||
| Cargo | 3857 tons of coal | ||
| History | Completed in September 1919 as Ossining for US Shipping Board (USSB). 1933 renamed Point Lobos for Gulf Pacific Mail Line (Swayne & Hoyt Ltd Inc), San Francisco CA. 1941 transferred to Britain and renamed Empire Wagtail by the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). | ||
| Notes on event | At 22.36 and 22.37 hours on 28 Dec 1942, U-260 fired torpedoes at convoy ONS-154 about 900 miles west of Cape Finisterre and reported one ship sunk with one torpedo, a second vessel sunk with three and a third ship damaged by one torpedo. However, the only ship hit at this time was the Empire Wagtail (Master Gabriel Almond). The master, 35 crew members and eight gunners were lost. | ||
| On board | We have details of 44 people who were on board. | ||
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